Automatic lamp cut-out.



J. EMBOESCH.

AUTOMATIQ LAMP CUT-OUT. APPLICATION FILED APR. 22. 1915.

Patented July 27, 1915.

INVENTOR efohnlziaoesch JOHN EMILE BOESCH, 0F VANCOUVER, BRITISHCOLUMBIA, CANADA.

AUTOMATIC LAMP GUT-OUT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 27, 1915.

Original application filed December 22, 1913, Serial No. 808,231.Divided and this application filed April 22,

To all whom it may concern vBe it known that 1, JOHN E. BOESOH, acitizen: of Switzerland, residing at Vancouver, in the Province ofBritish Columbia, Canada, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Automatic Lamp Cut- Outs, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to acutout by which an arc light and its leadwires may, at a sufficient height above the ground level to be safe fromaccident, be out out from the circuit by which it is served.

Arc lamps as used for suburban street lighting are usually in series andare suspended on a line from the end of an arm )ro'ectin from the 0stwhich carries the b circuit wires, which suspending line passes oversheaves at the end of the arm and at the connection of the arm to thepost and down the post to a convenient position for the trimmer to lowerand raise the lamp. The wires conducting the current to the lamp passdown the post to a position thereon approximately half the height of thelamp from the ground from which place the leads are looped to the lampso as to form a flexible connection permitting the lampto be raised andlowered.

A switch is usually provided on the lamp to enable the trimmer to cutout the lamp from the circuit while he is attending to it, but the highvoltage current not being cut off from the wire is present at the lampand is a source of danger. Beyond that is the fact that the lead wiresto the lamp may become disconnected and fall. to the ground Y where theyform an instant source of danger. Not only so, but as the lamps are inseries, if a lead wire becomes disconnect-ed at one lamp, it throws outof use all the lamps in the same circuit, and it is not easy at nightfor a repair man to locate the source of such trouble and remedy it.

The device, which forms a part of the subject of this application isdesigned to overcome these several objections. It is located underweather shelter at the place on the post from which the swinging leadwires are led to the suspended lamp, and may be operable as a switch bythe lamp trimmer to cut off the current from the lamp and also from theloop of lead wires thereto. It has also provision by which, if the lampbe lowered to an extent to impose the weight Serial No. 23,039.

of it on the lead wires so as to endanger their connections, the switchis automati- 'cally pulled out to close the circuit.

Further, and this forms 'the most important feature of the invention,the device has provision whereby if either of the lead wires should beaccidentally disconnected, the circuit is automatically closed at theswitch, whereby the lamp and its swinging lead wires are cut out of thecircuit, while the circuit is not interrupted for the other lamps.

This application forms a divisional part of my co-pending applicationSerial No. 808,231, filed December 22, 1913, but in this application Imake no claim to the cutout per 86, as that forms the subject-matter ofmy original application, the present application having referenceespecially to the combinations recited in the appended claims, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the post showing the application of thesafety lamp cutout thereto. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail of the switchin front elevation. Fig. 8 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 4 is across section on the line A in Fig. 2, showing the resilient contacts ofthe switch lever. Fig. 5 is a cross section on the line BB of Fig. 2.Fig. 6 is a detail view on an enlarged scale showing the ends of theparts 23-2T soldered together.

1 On referring to Fig. 1 of the drawing, 2 represents an arc lamp whichis suspended by a line 3 from the end of an arm or bracket 5, which linepasses over a sheave at the end of the arm and at the connection of thatarm to the post, and down the post to a convenient height for thetrimmer to lower and raise the lamp. The lamp 2 is served with currentfrom the circuit wire 6 by Wires 7 and 8 which pass down the post to thecutout, which is the particular subject of this application. This cutoutis located on the post at about two feet above the half height of thelamp from the ground. The lead wires from the cutout on the post to thelamp 2 are represented by 9 and 10.

The base board 11 of the switch is secured on extra high insulation 12to the back board 13 of the weather shelter, which shelter has a back,sides and top but is open at front and bottom. The ends of the wires 7and 8 from the circuit are connected at 15 each strip 2728.

and 16 to contacts 17 and 18 which are bent inward, as shown in Fig. 4,and have a resilient tendency to hold their ends in contact, so thatwhen there is nothing separating the contacts 17 and 18 the circuit 6,which serves this lamp in series with a number of others, is notinterrupted at this lamp but the lamp itself is cut out of the circuit.These contacts 17 and 18 are held apart and the current is conductedfrom them to serve the lamp by a switch lever 20 of wood or othersuitable insulating material, which lever is pivotally mounted on a pin19 through a bracket secured to the base board 11, the pin 19 beingfurnished with a wing nut so as to be readily removable, when re quired.On each side of this lever 20 strips 23-2i of copper or other suitablemetal are secured by cleats 25 above and below the contacts. Below thesecontacts the strips 2324- are bent outward from the lever and have ameasure of resilience tending to hold their ends against the ends of aplug 26 of carbon which passes through the thickness of the lever 20from one side to the other and projects slightly beyond its thickness.When the ends of the copper strips 2324: are in contact with the carbonplug the lamp circuit is closed at this point. The extreme ends of 232tare bent outward, as at 31, and to them are soft soldered as at 31 thesimilar turned-in ends of strips 2728 which are secured one on each sideof the lever 20 by cleats 29, and below these cleats have socketterminals 3334 to receive the ends of the lamp lead wires 9 and 10. Thestrips 2728 have a resilient tendency to spring outward from contactwith the lever 20, but this resilient effort outward is less than thatof the strips 2324 inward, so that the resilience of 232& overcomes thatof 27-28 and enables the distance of each soldered end 31 from the endsof the car bon plug 26 to be regulated by a set screw 30 which isthreaded into a nut secured in WVhen the lamp is in circuit the currentwill pass from the line wire 6 through the wires 7 and 8 to the contactterminals 17 and 18 of the cut-out, from them through the conductingstrips 2324 and 2728 on each side of the lever 20 and therefrom to thelamp through the lead wires 9 and 10 which are connected to theconducting strips of the cutout lever at the socket terminals 2324. If,however, either of the lead wires 9 or 10 becomes disconnected, thecurrent at four thousand volts, will arc across from the soldered ends31 and 32 to the carbon plug 26. The heat of the arc will immediatelyrelease the soldered ends 3132 which, under their resilience, willspring into contact with the ends of the plug 26 and will close thecircuit thereon, while the ends of 27-28, when released, will springoutward, and will effectively cut out the lamp 2 and its lead wires 9and 10 from the circuit, rendering them harmless to effect any injury ifthey should fall toward the ground where they might be encountered by apasserby.

It will be noticed that the terminals 333i on the lever 20 to which thelead wires 9 and 10 of the lamp are connected, are adjacent to thefulcrum pin 19 of that lever. These wires pass upward therefrom and arepassed in opposite directions through a porcelain bushing 35, which issecured in a bracket 36 of bent wire, which is secured to the lever 20to project from it in the plane of its movement on the pivot 19. Fromthis bushing 35 the wires pass upward to the lamp when it is in itsnormal position of suspension. lVith this manner of connection, if thelamp is lowered beyond the limit necessary to conveniently trim it, seedotted lines in Fig. 1, so as to impose a tension on the lead wires 9and 10, the pull on these wires will impose a turning movement on theswitch lever 20 that will pull it out from between the contacts 1718,and the resilience of those contacts will bring their ends together toclose the circuit thereat and to cut the lamp and its lead wires out ofthe circuit.

The bracket 36 has an eye 38 formed in it beyond the bushing 35, inwhich eye a hook on the end of a wooden rod may be inserted by the lamptrimmer that he may pull down the lever 20 to cut the lamp out of. thecircuit, before he proceeds to lower it, and may restore the switch whenthe lamp has been attended to and raised to its place.

So constructed and applied the device forms a comparatively cheap andconvenient provision, primarily protecting the pub lic against accidentif either of the lead wires should become detached from the lamp andfall to the ground; and not only so but it also prevents the currentbeing cut off in the entire circuit feeding a number of lamps when suchaccident occurs. It is also a convenient switch cutting out both thelamp and its lead wires from the circuit when the lamp is being trimmed;or if the trimmer or any unauthorized person should attempt to lower thelamp without first cutting it out from the circuit the weight of thelamp itself will effect that cut out.

The fact that the lamp and its loose lead wires may be cut entirely outof the circuit, alone removes a source of considerable inconvenience anddanger, for although present provision may allow the lamp to be cut out,the lamp must be first lowered, and the presence of loaded wires at thelamp, while the trimmer is working at it, is a menace.

Devices are used wherein the lamp is connected to the circuit at thepoint of suspension, and the lamp is disconnected and the connection,the current may pass down the line by which the lamp is lowered.

A further, most important advantage of this cut-out from an economicalpoint of view lies in the fact that the main circuit, which may beserving fifty to a hundred lamps, is not interrupted at a lamp, whenanything is wrong with the lamp or its loose leads, as in such event themain circuit is automatically closed at] the pole cut-out: If,therefore, indication is given at the station that the current is notflowing through the circuit, the lineman is safe to assume that thebreak is on the pole line, and it is not necessary, as at present, toexamine and test all the lamps. The current may, therefore, be cut offfrom the circuit and the linemen proceed to discover and repair theline.

While I have shown and described the specific form of cutout, I desireit under stood that the cutout 79c?" 86, forms no part of the presentapplication, as that forms the subject-matter of my original applicationhereinbefore referred to, the present invention residing in thecombination of the cutout with other elements as recited in the appendedclaims.

WVhat I claim is:

1. In combination with an arc lamp and means for suspending said lamp, acutout switch located on the post, lead wires from said switch to thelamp independent of the suspending means, said lead wires being adaptedto actuate the cutout upon lowering the lamp, and lead wires from saidswitch to the line circuit.

2. In combination with an electric lamp and means for suspending thesame, a cutout switch located at a distance from said lamp, lead wiresfrom said switch to said lamp independent of the supporting means, saidlead wires being adapted to actuate the cutout switch upon lowering thesaid lamp,

and lead wires from said switch to the line circuit.

3. In combination with an electric lamp, and means for suspending thesame, of a cutout switch located at a distance from said lamp, leadwires from said switch to the lamp independent of the suspending means,and lead wires from said switch to the line circuit, said switchincluding means for opening the circuit connection between said leadwires, and means for short circuit ing the lead wires to the linecircuit upon the occurrence of a break in the lead wires from saidswitch to said lamp.

at. In combination with an electric lamp, and means for suspending thesame, a cutout switch located at a distance from said lamp, lead wiresfrom said switch to said mechanism independent of the supporting means,said lead wires being adapted to actuate the cutout switch upon loweringthe said lamp, lead wires from said switch to the line circuit, andmeans for short-circuiting the lead wires to the line circuit upon theoccurrence of a break in the lead wires from said switch to said lamp.

5. In combination with an electric lamp and means for suspending saidlamp, of a cutout switch located. at a distance from said lamp, leadwires from said switch to the lamp independent of the suspending means,lead wires from said switch to the line circuit, said switch includingmeans foropening the circuit connection between said lead wires, andmeans for short circuiting the lead wires to the line wire connectionupon the occurrence of a break in the lead wires from the switch to thelamp.

6. The combination with an electric lamp, of lead wires connected withthe lamp, other lead wires connected with the line circuit, a connectionbetween said first and second mentioned lead wires, said connectionincluding means operable upon a break in the first mentioned lead wiresfor shortcircuiting the second mentioned lead wires.

7 An electric lamp, loose lead wires extending from the lamp to aterminal place for permitting the lamp to be moved from place to placewithin the predetermined limits, means located at the terminal place ofthe lead wires for automatically cutting out the lamp from the circuitand for closing the main circuit at the cutout when the loose leadcircuit to the lamp is interrupted, and means for effecting the samewhen the lamp is moved beyond a predetermined distance.

JOHN EMILE BOESCH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

